Grace checkmates all the boys

Grace Kuil loves beating boys at chess, and that's exactly what she did in Hastings today.

The Nuhaka pupil won all six of her games in the year six category of the Hawke's Bay Primary School Chess Championships at the Hastings Sports Centre to establish herself as the region's top primary-school player.

I just love playing chess and winning, she said, adding that she particularly enjoyed beating boys. Her victory is also a sign of the times, as more and more girls and women are seriously playing chess, a game traditionally dominated by males.

I play a lot of chess, mostly at school, and I like to play aggressively but solidly. Sometimes people come down from Gisborne to give us some coaching. At home I play with my father Jack sometimes; he's very good but I've won a couple of times.

Grace's victory in the top category, ahead of 48 other players, was yet another chess success for the tiny Nuhaka School in northern Hawke's Bay. This time Nuhaka pupils also won two other sections, Pharus Paewai in year four and TK Taylor in the years one to three group, and Camden Champion was third in year six.

Year five was won by Tane Lind from Bledisloe School in Napier.

Altogether more than 140 pupils contested the tournament, organised by Hawke's Bay Chess and the Hastings District Council.

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Small School Big in Chess

Nuhaka School might be one of the smallest in Hawke's Bay but it is number one in chess.

The rural school north of Wairoa has a history of success in Hawke's Bay competition, and reinforced its reputation when it was named top-achieving school at the provincial primary schools championship in Hastings on Friday.

Nuhaka pupil Hyrum Ormond won the Year 4 section at the championship and Pharus Paewai took Year 3, while other successes included Grace Kuil second in Year 5 and Te Uita Pasikala second in Year 3.

Hereworth School in Havelock North shone in the top section, Year 6, with Harry Brenton-Rule first and Cassius Solomon third. Napier Central pupil Connor Robinson tied with Brenton-Rule in the main, six-round competition as both scored maximum points, but Brenton-Rule won the play-off game.

William Duncan from Te Mata claimed the Year 5 section.

Altogether 191 pupils, from Wairoa in the north to Waipukurau in the south, took part in the competition, hosted by the Hastings District Council in the Hastings Sports Centre with assistance from Hawke's Bay Chess Inc.

Sports centre manager Opal Taylor said there was an upsurge of interest in chess in the region's schools, as schools were seeing that the game tied in with some of their new priorities.

"Schools are now putting more emphasis on strategic thinking and decision-making, and what better way to incorporate that than chess?" she said.

Tough end to Hawke's Bay schools chess

Victory in a long, gruelling final game won Sebastian Ayson-Macfarlane the top award in the Hawke's Bay Junior Schools Chess Tournament in Hastings today.

The final round in the top grade, Year 8, saw Sebastian pitted against Hamish Lee, both with a maximum four points from four rounds.

Their game continued long after all the others had finished and a big crowd gathered round their board. The advantage swung back and forth as both sides made mistakes but Sebastian, from Napier Intermediate, emerged the victor.

It looked extremely nerve-wracking but Sebastian said he had not been fazed by the pressure. "I like crowds," he said. "I kept my cool."
Organiser Chad Taylor, activities coordinator at the Hastings Sports Centre, said the total entry of nearly 300 was an increase over last year's figure.

"It probably would have been more but for a late change of dates," he said. "I think it reflects a growing interest in chess in New Zealand and around the world."

Mr Taylor was pleased that about 50 of the competitors were girls, reflecting a worldwide trend for more females to take part in what used to be a male-dominated sport. Grace Kuil from Nuhaka beat all the boys to win the Years 1-3 section.

Winners of other grades were: Year 7, Corbon Paewai (Nuhaka) and Aidan Olsen (Peterhead) first equal, Corbon first on tie-break; Year 6, Joshua Gilmore, Napier Central; Year 5; Jann Schmiedel (Hereworth); Year 4, Conor Robinson and Thomas King (both Napier Central) first equal, Conor first on tie-break.

The annual tournament is organised jointly by the Hastings District Council and Hawke's Bay Chess.